How Perry Met The Bear

A Western paper coutains this little genre pioture : He was watching the movernents of a striped, frisky-tailed chipmuak tbat waphed ita little fac3 in tñe laughing waters of a rnountain brook, and thinking how happy was that little fellow away off there in the everlasting silence. Perry is not a large man, but ia handaome ; he looked at his face reflected in the waters and wished he was "young as he used to be. " Ho moaued the fact that gray hairs had silvered his head, and thoughtfully ran over the days of happy youth. With a prayer for his descendanta, he turned from 'the water-brook to find himself in the presence of a bear. Few. words were spoken ; both rceant business. The bear ï'earad up laughing and Perry , reired down praying. The situation was peculiar - Perry says d - d peculiar. At it they went - tbe bear above, Perry below ; eaoh feit the other a " foeman worthy of his steel." In the midst of the conflict the bear became affectionate and embraoed Perry. Perry said 'twaa a "fond embrace," and reminded him of the days of his courtship. But too much familiarity bred conterapt, ana Perry intimated witü a big knife that his preference was that the bear shonld not hug him just then. The bear weighod 860 pounds, and Perry got eleven gallons of oil from threequarters of him.